New image intensifier family for military and homeland defense

ITT Industries Night Vision has developed a new high-performance image intensifier for use in existing aviation and ground night vision systems. This intensifier, called the "Pinnacle" by ITT, provides substantial performance increases in low light detection, high light resolution, and intra-scene dynamic range (the ability to see detail in dark areas of a scene where bright cultural lighting is present -- for example, into a dark alley where streetlights are also in the scene). The new Pinnacle intensifier can be used in all aviation and ground systems that currently accept 18 mm image intensifiers. The performance improvements offered in the Pinnacle intensifier are made possible by three factors: (1) a new high-performance micro-channel plate (MCP), (2) a newly designed gating power supply, and (3) manufacturing processes that have been optimized through design-of-experiments and six-sigma methods. With the higher signal-to-noise, resolution, and bright-light halo performance levels, the Pinnacle image intensifier substantially outperforms all previously fielded intensifiers, and greatly enhances the user's ability to operate at night.